Deaths from both illegal and prescription drugs have nearly doubled in the last ten years, new data reveals.
Almost twice as many people in England die from drug abuse compared to 10 years earlier, with Blackpool cited as the country’s drug death capital.
NHS figures on drug deaths include both illicit substances, such as heroin and cocaine, and legitimate but still potentially dangerous medications, such as prescription painkillers.
Our analysis revealed a stark north-south divide on a problem that is killing thousands of Britons every year.
Blackpool was the worst place for drug deaths per person in England, recording 19.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
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Blackpool was the worst place for drug deaths per person in England, recording 19.5 deaths per 100,000 people, almost four times the national average.
This is almost four times England’s national average of 5.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
Other countries with poor results were Hartlepool (14.8), Middlesbrough (14.1), Liverpool (14) and Newcastle (12.8), all northern towns and cities.
The only places in southern England to feature in the top 25 worst areas for drug deaths are the seaside resort of Brighton and Hove (12.7) and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (12.1).
At the opposite end of the spectrum are the picturesque Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall, which has not recorded a single drug-related death in the past three years.
And the situation seems to get worse. The number of weekly drug deaths in England has almost doubled in the last 10 years, rising from 30 to a new high of 55.
NHS data, which is collected in three-year increments, recorded a total of 8,582 drug deaths in 2020-2022.
This is almost double the equivalent figure of 4,808 recorded a decade earlier in 2010-2012.
Deaths since just three years ago were 7,665, meaning there has been a 12 per cent increase compared to the last report.
Blackpool also recorded the highest rate of male drug deaths, with 28.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
But Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, came first for drug deaths among women, with 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
NHS data does not calculate a death rate if the number of deaths is less than 10, so some areas, although recording a small number of drug deaths, are not represented in the figures.
Birmingham came first in terms of the number of drug deaths, with 249 deaths recorded, although considering the city’s population this only translated to a death rate of 7.8 per 100,000 people.
Leeds came in second with 194 deaths and Liverpool in third with 182 deaths.
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The deaths in the data encompass both accidental and intentional overdoses, as well as cases where someone was poisoned by another person.
Responding to the data, Lee Fernandes, lead therapist at the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said: “In December 2021, the Government launched its 10-year drugs strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’, but since So, drug deaths as a whole in the last three years and annually every year have only gone up.
‘Clearly their strategy is not working and a review should be considered. This year alone councils have been given a ring-fenced budget to be spent on residential detox, which is a great start, but until investment is prioritized for subsequent therapy, hardcore drug users could easily revert to old age. habits.
‘We must remember that we are not just talking about numbers here; These are people who have lost their lives because of drugs.
“These numbers represent someone’s parents, children, friends or co-workers and ultimately all of these deaths are preventable.”
Our analysis of local drug deaths recorded by the NHS comes as a separate report from the Office for National Statistics found that alcohol and drug deaths had risen to almost 13,000 in England and more than 800 in Wales in 2022.
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Both figures represent significant increases compared to pre-pandemic figures, when the count was 10,511 and 667 respectively.
Experts have blamed excess alcohol during the Covid pandemic, as well as the growing abuse of opiates, including heroin and prescription drugs, for increasingly ruining the lives of Britons.
Studies have suggested that a quarter of people increased their alcohol consumption during lockdown and people with an existing alcohol problem are thought to be the most affected.
There has also been growing concern that ketamine, a powerful horse tranquilizer, is enjoying growing popularity among young people.
The growing popularity of ketamine was revealed today in a shocking series of graphs revealing how use of the drug has increased among young people.
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The use of this anesthetic, which can cause hallucinogenic effects, reached a record level among young people aged 16 to 24 last year. Almost one in 25 people in this group in England, official figures show.
This is a jump of a fifth on the 2020 figure, and is also four times higher than levels recorded a decade ago.
Experts have long warned that the rise in ketamine use is due to both its affordability and availability.
It is believed to cost around £20 per gram, compared to £40 per gram for MDMA and £100 for cocaine.
